Now, more than ever before in history, people are at a risk of being accidentally exposed to radioactive and toxic substances. The widespread use of nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity presents a potential risk of accidental exposure to virtually everyone, not just those who work in or live near those plants. Nuclear fuel and waste products are commonly transported over highways. A single accident is capable of widespread contamination. Moreover, there is no assuredly safe method for disposing of nuclear waste.
The problem, however, is not limited to the nuclear industry. Many industries use highly toxic substances to manufacture goods. Like nuclear fuel and waste, these toxic substances are transported over highways. The problem of disposing of these substances is particularly acute and the number of hazardous waste sites is increasing at a rapid pace.
Despite the high risk of accidental exposure to radioactive and toxic substances, the medical profession is ill equiped to handle contaminated casualties. In particular, there is no clean method for transporting contaminated casualties from the scene of an accident to medical facilities. The transport of contaminated individuals inevitably results in contamination of expensive medical equipment and even the emergency vehicle itself.
Once contaminated, medical equipment must frequently be discarded. The vehicle itself must also go through time consuming and expensive decontamination procedures. Even then, there is no guarantee that radioactive and toxic substances can be adequately removed to allow the vehicle to return to service.